Acting: Play (ages 12 – 17) Summer School

“Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful.” 

During this six-day summer school, you will have the opportunity to take part in the intensive casting, rehearsing and performance of Rona Munro’s classic play Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.  

This ‘inventive feminist adaptation’ (The Stage) showcases one of Scotland’s foremost writers at her best.  

The course is suitable for aspiring actors aged 12 – 17 who wish to develop performance skills and build on previous experience.  

The course is taught by an experienced theatre director, and you will benefit from participating in a simulated professional rehearsal and production process. Workshops will aim to improve your voice, movement and character development skills and you will be introduced to the key elements of textual analysis.  

The course is practical, rigorous and aims to challenge participants technically and creatively. It aims to create an inspiring, challenging and supportive environment for ambitious performers.  

By the end of the course participants should have:  

• strengthened their acting skills, in particular voice and character development  
• experienced a professional approach to casting and rehearsing  
• participated in skill-based masterclasses  
• worked towards a finished production as an acting ensemble  

The final performance will take place on the last day of the course in one of the RCS performance venues.  

If you have any questions in advance of booking, please contact us at summerschools@rcs.ac.uk  

You may also be interested in:  

Acting: for Camera (ages 12 – 14)  

Acting: for Camera (ages 15 – 17) 

We are pleased to welcome students from across the world to our Summer Schools. Our course fees do not include accommodation or food, and these should be organised by the student. Our campus is located in Glasgow city centre, and you can find the addresses below.

We recommend Base Glasgow, as purpose-built accommodation for Conservatoire students, with Rehearsal Rooms, Practice spaces and Dance Studios. Base Glasgow is perfectly suited for our summer school students; both safe and secure, with 24/7 staff presence and only 3 mins walk from our main Renfrew Street building, keeping travel costs to a minimum.

Classic En-Suite rooms come with a 3/4 bed, en-suite bathroom, ample storage, mirror, study desk and chair. The shared area includes a spacious lounge and kitchen area.

Please note that Short Courses staff are not affiliated with BASE or on site out with the summer school teaching hours, and therefore cannot take responsibility for students outside of these hours.

For more information about booking accommodation at BASE Glasgow you can contact them directly via website BASE – Student Accommodation in Glasgow or email baseglasgow@thisisfresh.com.

Alternatively, there are plenty of hotels, hostels, and b’n’b options available. We are located close to transport links should you wish to stay outside the city centre. If you are travelling to Glasgow for a course, we strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance that covers course fees, travel, accommodation, and cancellations due to COVID-19 – as RCS will not refund in this circumstance. You can view the Cancellations and Refund policy for full information.

For students under 18 years old, we strongly advise travelling with a responsible adult should any emergency situations arise during class. Students are only monitored by staff during class times.

Renfrew Street Campus: 100 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, G2 3DB
Wallace Studios Campus: 210 Garscube Road, Glasgow, G4 9RR

This is an open access course which is suitable for anyone aged 12 – 17 who is interested in taking part in an intensive rehearsal and performance experience, however previous acting or drama experience is recommended to get the most out of the teaching.

During the course students should dress appropriately in loose and comfortable clothing and be prepared to work without shoes if required. We also ask that students to bring rehearsal clothes to the summer school, i.e. clothes that are dark and neutral.

You should bring water as workshop activities in this course will be physical, and bring a pad and pen to make notes during classes.

Many of our students travel from across the world to join us for an open day, study on a short course or attend a summer school at the Royal Conservatoire. Our courses do not include accommodation and students are required to organise this independently.

Bespoke accommodation designed specifically for performing arts students, Base Glasgow is just minutes from the Royal Conservatoire’s two campuses at Renfrew Street and the Wallace Studios at Speirs Locks. You can save on transport costs while being close to all that the city has to offer, from theatres, music venues and shops to restaurants and bars.

Base Glasgow, is located on McPhater Street and is home to a stylish mix of contemporary shared flats and studio apartments, all of which are en- suite. It’s the only student accommodation in Scotland built to cater to the needs of performers, with five soundproofed practice spaces. It also has a cinema, gym and social living spaces.

Facilities include soundproofed practice and rehearsal spaces, on-site gym, up to 125Mbps Wi-Fi, all utility bills included, cinema, communal games room, communal study rooms and courtyard.

Please note that this accommodation is only for students aged 16+, places are strictly limited so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Summary of Base Glasgow offer:

Age of students: strictly 16yrs +

Cost: £171 per week

If you have any access requirements, Base Glasgow are happy to discuss accommodation arrangements to ensure they suit you.

The Conservatoire is not able to make reservations on your behalf.  Please contact Base Glasgow with any queries.

If you are having trouble finding accommodation, please contact us directly and we will aim to help you find somewhere to stay.

If you would prefer to stay in hostel, B&B or hotel, you can go to the Visit Scotland website for further options.

Promotional Offers

We offer a selection of promotional offers for our Short Courses, take a look!

To receive the promotional offer code, contact shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk before booking a course.

The course runs Monday 10 July – Saturday 15 July, from 10am to 5pm. There will be a short sharing of the work students have been engaging with on the Saturday afternoon for invited family and friends.

“I loved working with like minded people and learning new skills.” (2019 participant)

“A great way to improve your acting skills and meet new people. Rehearsal spaces and the theatre were amazing.” (2019 participant)

Agnes Allan Bursary

Agnes Allan was a teacher, passionate about inclusion, and this bursary scheme exists to offer support to students to participate in the performing or production arts.

The Agnes Allan Bursary provides some support to students who may require financial assistance to take part in a short course in dance, drama, music, production or screen.

Anyone who wishes to take part in our Short Courses and faces a financial barrier can apply for bursary support to help meet the cost of tuition fees.

More information about the Agnes Allan Bursary.

James McAvoy Drama Scholarships

Bafta-winning and Golden Globe nominated actor James McAvoy is committed to nurturing the creative potential of young Scots who experience barriers to access and participate in drama at RCS Short Courses.

James is a graduate of the BA Acting programme at RCS and Patron of the Junior Conservatoire of Drama. The Glasgow-born actor has funded the new James McAvoy Drama Scholarships to enable young people to experience the world-class drama training at RCS as he did.

The scholarship aims to support applicants who would otherwise find meeting the cost of tuition fees at RCS a barrier to accessing pre-Higher Education drama training at the Royal Conservatoire.

More information about the James McAvoy Drama Scholarship.